Lainey Wilson steps into the spotlight Thursday night for a headlining performance on ABC's annual three-hour CMA Fest special.
But Lainey has a history with the festival, formerly known as Fan Fair, that dates back to her teens.
"I was probably 14 or 15 when I saw Sugarland in a big blow-up ball and they rolled across the entire floor of the stadium, and I thought that was the coolest thing I'd ever seen," she recalls. "It was insane. And I remember Martina McBride singing 'Broken Wing.'"
While the "Somewhere Over Laredo" superstar stops short of naming a favorite, she definitely has a major contender.
"I remember every single year watching Keith Urban, like, pop up in all these random spots in the stadium," she says. "To me he's always been one of the best performers."
"I've been coming every year since I was 14 years old, so it's hard just to choose one," she adds.
CMA Fest premieres Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and streams the following day on Hulu.
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